Meet the 2008 Board of Directors

Our board is comprised of both individuals whose lives have been touched by LBD, and professionals with a deep dedication to our mission.

Officers

John Young has served on LBDA’s board since the day after its incorporation in 2003 and serves as President through 2009. John’s 20+ career in law enforcement included service for the UN on the International Police Task Force in Bosnia, where he also served as an Election Officer in Foca and as a Chief Human Rights Investigator in Sarajevo. John brings prior board service experience as well, having served on the boards of a local police association and hockey organization. He took an early retirement to care for his spouse, Janet, who passed away from LBD in 2006. John resides in Lake Tahoe, CA.

Joe Whiteis operates his own business in art direction, design, animation, print, web and multimedia communications and oversees the care of his mother who has LBD. Joe is based in Minneapolis, MN, has served on the board for 2 years and will begin a 2 year term as President in 2010.

Jim Whitworth, a retired engineer, is one of LBDA’s original founders, served as President from 2003 to 2005, and now serves as Secretary/Treasurer. Jim’s first wife passed away from LBD only a few months before LBDA’s incorporation in 2003. He and his new wife live in Mesa, AZ.

Directors

James Galvin, MD joined the Board after serving on LBDA’s Scientific Advisory Council and directs a multispecialty dementia clinic that sees about 1,100 patients a year. He is an Associate Professor of Neurology, Psychiatry and Neurobiology at Washington University, St. Louis, MO. Jim’s experience with LBD is both professional and personal, as his grandfather had both Parkinson’s and symptoms of LBD.

Ronnie Genser is President of Genser International Consulting, an international sales and marketing consulting company in Atlanta, GA. Genser International Consulting helps U.S. companies sell domestically and internationally and also helps non-U.S. firms launch their products in the U.S. market. Ronnie currently serves as LBDA’s National Support Group Coordinator, and has expanded our support group network from 6 support groups to almost 40 in the last two years. Ronnie also serves on the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce of the Southeast’s Board of Directors and is a past Treasurer. Ronnie is a founding member of Congregation Or Hadash, a new Conservative synagogue in Sandy Springs, GA. As a Board Member and Chair of their Marketing Committee, she helped the synagogue grow from approximately 54 family units at inception to over 250 family units in two years. Ronnie’s mother had LBD and passed away in March 2007.

Debbie McCoy Massey comes to LBDA with a passion for research that improves the human condition. In late 2007 she transitioned into a consulting role with clients involved in the philanthropic support of health research, after serving as the Research Program Officer for the national Arthritis Foundation for 21 years. She also served as a primary caregiver for both her parents and is based in Atlanta, GA.

Steve Stevenson, CPA brings 30 years of financial and accounting management experience to LBDA in his first role as a nonprofit Board member. Steve is CFO of Nova Corporation, a $1.2 billion subsidiary of US Bank Corp.

Nancy Silverman hails from Miami, FL and is President of Wayloo, Inc., a global marketing firm in Ft. Lauderdale, FL that specializes in recruitment and recognition campaigns for the federal government and global corporations. She previously served on the board of the Alzheimer’s Association of South Florida and as chair of the Small Business Advisory Board for Miami Dade County. Nancy’s husband, Howard, passed away with LBD in 2008.

Angela Taylor served as LBDA’s President from 2005 to 2007, and brings experience in several industries including software development, manufacturing and communications. Angela resides in State College, PA and cares for her father who has LBD.

Joining the Board in 2009:

Carol Caughran, MS, was the 2006 LBDA Volunteer of the Year and was recognized for launching the very first LBDA caregiver support group in the U.S. She has since coordinated two community symposiums on LBD. Carol’s father passed away from LBD in 2005 and Carol now lives in Jacksonville, FL where she is self-employed, a master’s level counsel and volunteers with both the Mayo Clinic and hospice as a speaker on caregiver education topics.